Out now: Cecilia's World - a novel about music

€25 (including international shipping)

Serge on 'Cecilia's World':

I had been writing short stories, reviews and articles about music for almost three years when I decided it was time to finally write that debut novel. I had been thinking about writing a book for years but until now that never seemed to happen. Then, on a Sunday I started to write 'Bottom Of the Pops', an introduction to alternative music, or "alternative music for dummies". On Tuesday, that book became the guideline for 'Cecilia's World'.

I was in the kitchen, doing the dishes. I thought about how I could make 'Bottom Of The Pops' more interesting. It was a chronological description of a wide variety of musical styles, like rock, metal, drum & bass, punk... but no more than that. It lacked a soul. Then, all of a sudden, 'Sophie's World' by Jostein Gaarder came to mind and bingo, an idea was born. The next few month were filled with writing, research and more writing. Cecilia got created (named after the patron saint of musicians)

Cecilia's Mixtapes

A book about music needs a soundtrack. However, purchasing all the rights to use the music would have bankrupted me. So I had to find another solution. That solution was found in another hobby of mine: spinning records. Under the moniker DJ Spullenhulp, I made two playlists (with a third one coming soon) containing bands and acts that appear in the book. Currently, there are 120 tracks, all from different acts.

Cecilia's Hidden Secrets

Here is a little easter egg. Not only have I mentioned a heap of bands, I have also hidden a bunch in or between the text. You can find Tool in "stool" and you can find Kiss in a romantic passage. I'll uncover some more on the third mixtape. Can you find them all?

Merchants Of Air

Find more of my work, my reviews, articles & columns on Merchants Of Air. I founded this webzine in 2014 to promote underground music. Click here